No doubt many of us have forgotten the things about our past that we used to do, especially in the earlier days of our education. No doubt, without reading the subject of this article, most of you would not remember what March 2 celebrates every year, even though it was probably a big day in school when you were in elementary or middle school. March 2 is the birthday of everyone’s favorite childhood author Dr. Seuss, and it is also known as Read Across America day, an annual day dedicated to motivate children to celebrate reading. Are the memories coming back to you yet?
In cities and towns across the nation, teachers, librarians, politicians, parents, and just anyone else who wants to be involved help plan activities to bring the excitement of reading to children everywhere. The whole day began in May of 1997 when a small reading task force at the National Education Association (NEA) decided to create a day to excite kids about reading just as a pep rally excites kids about football. The purpose of the day was to teach everyone how important reading was in achievement and education. So why was Dr. Seuss’s birthday chosen as the day to celebrate reading? There was no one better in the world of children’s authors to choose from to showcase the importance of reading.
Theodor Seuss Geisel was the American writer, poet, and cartoonist who was most widely known for his 46 children’s books that he wrote under the pen name Dr. Seuss. His characters in his books were often imaginative and colorful. His most famous and most beloved books among children include those such as Green Eggs and Ham, The Cat in the Hat, One Fish To Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, Horton Hears a Who!, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. From his many works, there have been 11 television specials, four movies, a Broadway musical, and four television series. His books continue to bring joy to children of all ages, especially those who like to look back and remember their childhood.
But why did he start writing under a pen name? Geisel attended Dartmouth College and joined the humor magazine Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern. He became editor-in-chief, but was forced to resign when he was caught drinking in his room with friends. To continue working on the magazine, he began signing his work with the pen name “Seuss,” signing his first work after graduation as “Dr. Seuss.” He intended to earn a Doctor of Philosophy in English literature, but instead returned to the United States in 1927 after meeting and marrying his wife. It wasn’t until after World War II that Seuss turned his attention to children’s books, after having drawn political cartoons for various newspapers and posters for various departments.
In May of 1954, there was a report published that stated that children were not reading because their books were boring. Seuss was given a list of 348 words that were deemed important for first-graders to recognize and was asked to cut the list down to 250. He was challenged to write a book using only those words and to write a book that children would not be able to put down. Nine months later, with 236 of the words provided, The Cat in the Hat was published, and proved to be and still is very popular.
